What if the Preppers are Right?

What if the Preppers are right?

Public opinion is largely shaped by the media
in all formats including news, cinema and television shows. It should come
as no surprise that everyone doesn't necessarily form an opinion on every
subject. Nor should you be shocked to hear that most opinions are uninformed. We
can all give countless examples of this. Most Americans are sheeple, unable to
think for themselves. They are content to follow and I believe many are too lazy
to do the minimal research required to have an informed opinion. Their reliance
on government or media sources for information makes them easily susceptible to
manipulation. It's simply easier to be a sheeple.

As a student of the preparedness lifestyle, I
cringe at the media's portrayal of preppers. Originally, the brunt of the
ridicule was directed at survivalists. But with the success of National
Geographic's Doomsday Preppers, the concept of being a prepper hit the
mainstream. Now Preppers are the target of the media's derision. I have my
opinion as to why that is the case and it has its basis in politics. It is my
opinion that the media is largely left leaning and as a result does not embrace
the self-sufficient lifestyle that is prepping. So, if you can't join them, beat
them down ... repeatedly. As a recent example, think of the media's
dismantling of the Tea Party movement. I see similar attacks on preppers.

From AP ... "Sandy Hook Shooter Comes from Prepper Family"

From CBS ... "Local 'Preppers' Stock Up For Improbable US
Ebola Crisis"

Our economy can collapse as a result of our
own government's mismanagement of our national debt or external factors such as
a global financial meltdown, an attack on the US Dollar and other "improbable"
(per CBS) events. Why do you think the Federal Reserve is so frightened of
raising interest rates despite obvious underlying inflation data? Our economy is
a house of cards. We are just a few steps away from a collapse of the dollar and
hyperinflation.

History is replete with the rise and fall of
empires. Are Americans so arrogant, or oblivious, to realize that we are in a
stage of decline and collapse. Some of the signs of decline include a downward
cultural spiral, an over reliance on government and the inability to protect the
integrity of a nation's borders. Sound familiar?

All empires end when they are defeated by a more vigorous empire ... or when their financing runs out.

What if?

Escalation of Global Conflict into a World War

Let's compile a list of the strongest "bad actors" on the
world geopolitical stage:

Russia ~ China ~ North Korea ~ Iran ~ Syria ~ ISIS ~ Al Qaeda

What do these folks have in common? They hate US! Think of the
Seven Deadly Sins: Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, Pride. All of
these relate to the attitudes of these "Bad Actors" towards the United States.
Is is that far fetched that one or more of these could band together to bring
the mighty United States of America to it's knees. Remember, the enemy of my
enemy is my friend.

World War I was precipitated by the
assassination of an Archduke, but the underlying causes were geopolitical
tensions in Europe. 20 million people died during the war followed by another 70
million post-war due to famine and the Spanish Flu. Are we naive to think that
something like this couldn't happen again? Geopolitical Tensions - sound
familiar?

World War II was caused in large part by
tensions arising from invasions of other sovereign territories around the world.
It escalated into a global conflict with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Today, Russia has invaded Ukraine. China prepares to exert more of it's
dominance in Asia. ISIS is taking over large parts of the Middle East to form an
Islamic State. Some might say, "not our problem". But what if one of the 'bad
actors' mentioned above decide to make it our problem with an attack on the
heartland along the lines of Pearl Harbor? Is that so far fetched? Remember
9/11?

What if?

America is Attacked

We are especially vulnerable to attack because
of our desire to provide freedoms to all Americans, but especially because of
political correctness. We are not allowed to racially profile a potential
terrorist. Our southern border is a sieve. We refuse to ban flights from
ebola-stricken countries for fear of being labeled racist. Our military has been weakened by
prolonged wars and budget cuts. We have a commander-in-chief who is seen as
weak and disinterested.

Our enemies can come at us in so many ways. A
day does not go by without news of a CyberAttack. What if these CyberAttacks are
just a series of trial runs before one large massive, coordinated cyberattack on
our banking, governmental and utility servers? An electromagnetic pulse
delivered by a nuclear warhead or a series of emp fired weapons at strategic
locations across the country could bring down our power grid. For the first
time, Russia has more deployed nuclear assets than the United States does. Can
you say "outnumbered"?

What if?

Widespread Pandemic or BioTerror in the form
of Weaponized Ebola

Our government is intent on "calming the
fears" of the American people as to the likelihood of the Ebola virus hitting US
soil. This comes as we are bringing into the country Ebola stricken health care
workers. Keep in mind that these were people who are experts in treating this
virus and who were provided all of the necessary equipment to prevent contracting
Ebola. As the CDC was calming our fears, a Nigerian national flew into Dallas
with Ebola potentially infecting hundreds and ultimately dying while in the
government's care.

The question has to be asked ...

What is wrong with a little fear amongst the
masses?

In 1763, the British fortress at Fort Pitt in
Delaware was under siege. Letters were exchanged between British General Jeffrey
Amherst and Colonel Henry Bouquet as to defensive tactics. Amherst suggested:

"Could it not be contrived to send the Smallpox
among those disaffected tribes of Indians"

Weaponized smallpox. Is it not plausible that
our enemies could weaponize Ebola? In the name of Jihad, is it not possible that one would
contract the Ebola virus and enter the United States with the intention of
creating a pandemic? The news outlets that raise these possibilities are labeled
fear mongers and racists. But have you noticed that Amazon is selling out of
particulate masks and other bio-hazard supplies? Fear is a great motivator.

Any of the above naturally occurring events
could wreak havoc on our power grid, our atmosphere and our climate.
Imagine our way of life without power for weeks on end as a result of a massive
solar flare striking the Earth. It happened in 1859 in what is commonly referred
to as the Carrington Event. Imagine the droughts and famine resulting from
severe climate shifts. Imagine a major earthquake along the New Madrid Fault in
the central United States that could collapse bridges over the Mississippi
River. It has happened before in 1811 and 1812. Strikes by near earth objects
such as asteroids can be extinction level events. Likewise, a massive eruption
of the Yellowstone Super Volcano could result in climate change that my two
Hummers never dreamed of.

What if the Preppers are right?

All of the events described above are
plausible, and have their roots in history. What could happen? Global Panic.
Martial Law. Travel Restrictions. Food and Water Shortages. Overload of the
Medical System. Societal Collapse. Economic Collapse.

This is why we prep. Prepping is insurance
against both natural and man-made catastrophic events. You are now required by
law to carry medical insurance. Your homeowner's insurance may include damage
from tornadoes. You may never incur damage from a tornado, but you pay for that
monthly nonetheless. This is what preppers do. We allocate time and resources to
protect our families in the event of seemingly unlikely events but events that
are occurring daily or have historical precedent.

I personally hope none of these catastrophic
events occur, but what if .....